Cadillac could poach rising Aston Martin F2 star to drive with the American team in 2026 - Reports

Amid growing speculations about the possible drivers who could race for the Formula 1 team Cadillac, reports have surfaced of the American outfit possibly poaching Jak Crawford. The 20-year-old is among the long list of drivers currently linked with the sport’s newest entrant.

The North Carolina native, who currently drives for the DAMS Oil racing team in Formula 2, has recently seen his name gain traction, particularly amid reports that the team is looking to sign at least one American driver for its seat in 2026. According to Motorsport, the Aston Martin driver academy star has been mentioned alongside other veteran drivers, including Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas, who have also been linked with the Cadillac team.

Crawford himself recently confirmed discussions with the Cadillac team, and during a recent interview, as quoted by Motorsport.com, he emphasised that a move to the team could depend on his performance throughout the 2025 Formula 2 season.

“It depends a lot on what I do in Formula 2 this year. If I can win the championship, it would be great for my career. It could lead to many opportunities, whether \[that’s] with a seat on the grid or potentially again a reserve driver role next year in Formula 1,” Crawford said. “We're trying to find any space on the grid, whether it's with Cadillac or Aston Martin or some other teams. There have been talks, I've been talking, but it's very slow at the moment. From my side, I just need to do a good job in Formula 2. There's nothing I can do to compete. Actually, the only thing I can do is do well in F2. Other than that, I can't really do anything else,” he added.

So far, the team has largely remained quiet regarding its choice of drivers for the 2026 season. However, reports have circulated suggesting that the Silverstone-based outfit could reveal its driver line-up during the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend.

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Cadillac's chief speaks on signing an American driver

Cadillac F1 outfit team principal Graeme Lowdon earlier weighed in on the prospect of signing an American driver. The 60-year-old, who returns to F1 following his lengthy hiatus from the series, detailed how open the team would be with regards to its driver signings for its debut campaign.

Lowdon, who was announced in 2024 as the team principal for the Cadillac team, also stated that his team would sign its drivers based on merit. Sharing his thoughts via Motorsport.com, he stated:

“We definitely select on merit. Formula 1, it's not a playground, this is the pinnacle of world motorsport. I think in terms of timing, it's kind of a little bit odd because we're out of sync with the other teams—we weren't in the driver market during the fairly critical last round, so certain drivers are tied up for certain periods." “...The obvious question is whether we'll have American drivers and personally, I see no reason why an American driver can't be selected on merit as well,” he said.

So far, several drivers continue to be linked with the prospect of racing for Cadillac in 2026. Whether Jak Crawford secures a seat with the team will be one topical issue worth keeping a close watch on.

Edited by Riddhiman Sarkar